The Toronto Zoo says they do not know when the tourist attraction will reopen after contract talks broke off between the zoo’s negotiators and the union representing more than 400 striking employees on Saturday.
Speaking to CP24 Sunday, Toronto Zoo spokesperson Jennifer Tracey said the two sides met on Saturday following a meeting of the zoo’s board of management.
She said a deal was presented to the union that addressed concerns about job security but the offer was rejected.
“The union had indicated on Friday that they wanted absolute job security and guaranteed employment against contracting out for anyone that has been employed at the zoo for more than four years. What the zoo responded with was everyone who is currently in the bargaining unit today will be protected from contracting out. Any new employees going forward will be protected after 11 years,” Tracey said.
“No other city agency has the kind of job protection that the Toronto Zoo is offering to its employees.”
But Christine McKenzie, the president of CUPE Local 1600, which represents more than 400 zoo employees, including zookeepers, horticulturists, tradespeople, and maintenance workers, said if the union accepts the proposal as is, it could “erode future staffing levels.”
“They’ve dangled a carrot at us to protect all current members in hopes of getting us to forsake the future generations of workers that will work here so they have done that without providing any explanation whatsoever for why they want to make staffing cuts in the future,” she said.
“We want to know what their hidden agenda is.”
McKenzie also was quick to point out that the union did not walk away from the table and remains committed to negotiating.
She said the two sides are not really that far away from reaching a deal.
“I think we are about 95 per cent of the way right now. The other five per cent is really up to the employer,” she said.
The zoo remains closed to allow non-unionized staff to focus on caring for the animals, Tracey said.
“As long as the zoo is on strike at this point we need to focus entirely on the care of the animals and that is what we are doing,” she said.
She added that the animals are being looked after by veterinarian staff, curators, wildlife care supervisors and managers.
“They are so committed to these animals and they have such a level of expertise that they have been able to share with us,” she noted.
“We are working well with the animals. They are getting out, they are being well taken care of. They are being well-fed.”
McKenzie said her primary concern was about the state of the zoo’s conservation programs.
“A lot of our breeding programs that should be happening around this time of year aren’t because the staff in there are going to be mostly focusing on just the bare bones work right now,” she said.
“So I’m concerned that our conservation programs are suffering.”
